Developing the implementation of green warehousing at IKEA Finland
Luu, Minh (2016)
Luu, Minh
Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201605076479
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201605076479
Tiivistelmä
Sustainability has become an increasingly important trend in supply chain management recently. The green warehouse, a crucial element in the sustainable supply chain, should be implemented strategically and efficiently.
The thesis aims to develop the implementation of green warehousing at IKEA Finland with three investigative questions (IQs). The research examines the IKEA’s current warehouse sustainability with a focus on energy efficiency (IQ1), waste management (IQ2) and creates developing proposals for the IKEA’s sustainable warehouse in the future (IQ3).
The introduction gives the reader an overview of the thesis topic including the background, the research question, key concepts and sustainability implementations in the case company IKEA. Subsequently, the theoretical framework represents the high-quality and most up-to-date literature, starting from a big picture of green supply chain management and green ware-housing to various elements of advanced models in energy efficiency and waste management. The theory section concludes with presentations of future directions in green warehousing practices with renewable energy self-production and sustainable warehouse designs.
The research methods chapter includes three phases (P1, P2, and P3) and qualitative empirical research is the primary approach. Firstly, the desktop study phase (P1) reviews relevant literature on green warehousing implementation. The data collection phase (P2) aims to obtain information both from primary sources (four interviews with IKEA’s Sustainability Leader, Logistics Manager, Goods-Flow Shift Leader and a warehouse employee) and secondary sources (IKEA Group Sustainability Reports). The final phase (P3) analyzes and interprets research results and matches the findings with theory literature to evaluate the current sustainability practices at IKEA’s warehouses.
The research results demonstrate that the current implementations of energy efficiency (IQ1) and waste management (IQ2) at IKEA’s warehouses are excellent. The case company has successfully applied the most innovative approaches to facilitate its green warehousing practices.
Regarding the model of a future warehouse, the researcher has formulated three developing proposals to improve the green warehouse at IKEA Finland (IQ3). The first developing proposal establishes a system of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in energy efficiency and waste management at IKEA’s store level. The second proposal suggests IKEA to use two appropriate methods of gasification and anaerobic digestion to generate energy from biomass. Finally, the recommendations on redesigning IKEA’s warehouses with more sustainable designs are the last development plan.
The thesis aims to develop the implementation of green warehousing at IKEA Finland with three investigative questions (IQs). The research examines the IKEA’s current warehouse sustainability with a focus on energy efficiency (IQ1), waste management (IQ2) and creates developing proposals for the IKEA’s sustainable warehouse in the future (IQ3).
The introduction gives the reader an overview of the thesis topic including the background, the research question, key concepts and sustainability implementations in the case company IKEA. Subsequently, the theoretical framework represents the high-quality and most up-to-date literature, starting from a big picture of green supply chain management and green ware-housing to various elements of advanced models in energy efficiency and waste management. The theory section concludes with presentations of future directions in green warehousing practices with renewable energy self-production and sustainable warehouse designs.
The research methods chapter includes three phases (P1, P2, and P3) and qualitative empirical research is the primary approach. Firstly, the desktop study phase (P1) reviews relevant literature on green warehousing implementation. The data collection phase (P2) aims to obtain information both from primary sources (four interviews with IKEA’s Sustainability Leader, Logistics Manager, Goods-Flow Shift Leader and a warehouse employee) and secondary sources (IKEA Group Sustainability Reports). The final phase (P3) analyzes and interprets research results and matches the findings with theory literature to evaluate the current sustainability practices at IKEA’s warehouses.
The research results demonstrate that the current implementations of energy efficiency (IQ1) and waste management (IQ2) at IKEA’s warehouses are excellent. The case company has successfully applied the most innovative approaches to facilitate its green warehousing practices.
Regarding the model of a future warehouse, the researcher has formulated three developing proposals to improve the green warehouse at IKEA Finland (IQ3). The first developing proposal establishes a system of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in energy efficiency and waste management at IKEA’s store level. The second proposal suggests IKEA to use two appropriate methods of gasification and anaerobic digestion to generate energy from biomass. Finally, the recommendations on redesigning IKEA’s warehouses with more sustainable designs are the last development plan.